Isabella!

I had way too much fun with my new camera and Isabella with her new red coat (That Uncle Charlie and Aunt Gie-gie gave her... that's me!)

So here are the most adorable of the bunch! It may look like I posted all the pictures of her but trust me... there were many more!

Isabella with the first look at the new coat

Had to put it on right away!
Ready to go for a walk in her new coat and no it was not cold outside. She was checking herself out in the mirror first. She loves her pockets.
Such a cute back on it. I think the boots help the look.
What a sweet face.

Now it is Isabella's turn to take a picture (With Aunt Gie-Gie's help)

Hi mommy!

Jump!
Another Isabella Picture!

Let the "Zapping" begin. Annie said it is on a Dora the Explorer show where you "Zap" and then you have to be still until you "Zap" again. Annie is such a patient mother even pausing for a "zap" in the middle of saying no more "zap-ping"

Isabella had to walk around to face her before she would "un-zap" mommy

Now mommy's turn to zap... When Zapped Isabella quickly puts her hands out and bends her knees.

"ZAP" Granddad - He didn't know what was required of a zap
So he zapped back... Isabella Laughed at the surprise of being zapped while trying to zap someone.
Love you little girl!

How do you take a picture of a camera to blog about it?

That's right! Merry Christmas to me! from Charlie. He bought me an awesome camera and I am loving playing with it. You can probably tell due to the recent blog posts full of pictures!

My camera is a Nikon D40

This is a picture from the computer

Not the best picture but it works. I read the user manual cover to cover and now am taking pictures whenever I get a chance to work on my skills. I am not trying to be super good or anything... I just don't want to have to beg pictures off of anyone else. YEAH!

So here are some of my random test shots... what do you think?

The Christmas Camels my dad brought back from Egypt when I was little

Charlie's interpretation of still ceiling fan

A collaborative table effort to set up this awesome shot. I call it bread and butter with straw

Lauren and Jason big smiles!

Charlie's Visor hanging on the rear view mirror... I like this :)

My super cute husband!

So I had to wake up early on Friday morning (morning after I got my camera) The cat was not so happy to be the early morning test shot model. Can you tell?

This is Charlie's "Remote on Pillow"

My cute lantern in my tree

Another collaboration at Doc Chey's with my parents

so cute!

Copper... Don't play with Santa

Cooper your ear is falling..

More to come in the form of blogging  :)

The Button Wreath finished product

So here are the pictures of the Button Wreath Ornaments that my mom and I did yesterday. I still need to do some ribbons but i have some completed to show you now. PLUS I promised Lauren that it would be posted by 6pm... so here you go Lauren and Aunt Judy.



I wrap the ribbon around the top until the wire is covered then tie a loop to hang it with and a bow on top!
I wish I knew what piece of clothing those eagle buttons came off of?!
I love this one that my mom put together... pinks and browns very trendy mom!
The whole lot of button wreaths!

For those who are curious... the wire I used to string the buttons on is 26Gauge 1/4lb. 2 or 3 strands depending on the buttons size. 

Dad and mom for the weekend!

What a fun and relaxing weekend. This is the first time I have hosted my dad and mom in my home and it was such fun!

We spent time in Asheville on Saturday where they witnessed the purchase of one iPod touch for one very excited Charlie for Christmas. Don't you like the official hand off right outside the front door of Best Buy?

Oh by the way did I say yet what Charlie got me for Christmas? Well I will do that in a post of it's own so check back! :)

I love having my parents here... My mom and I had a lot of fun making peanut brittle without a candy thermometer. Never been done before but it was completely successful! Yum! 

My dad spent time helping Charlie set up his iPod and playing with his own. It was great to have someone to feed Charlie's excitement

Time with my parents would not be complete without popcorn. So dad and I whipped up a batch to settle in and watch Wall-E. Which by the way is funnier the second time! If you have not seen it yet you have to check it out.

Mom was working on Christmas cards and gained a new friend.

Our Sunday afternoon activity was completing a project I started a few years ago. I bought buttons to make button wreaths as Christmas ornaments. I made a few and really liked them. Then the idea came to use my great-grandmother's buttons to make wreaths. They were Grandma Grace's buttons she is my mom's dad's mother. I love this idea and now we have used them all and I love how they have turned out. Such unique old buttons. It make me want to pull buttons off everything I have once they wear out. 

GIRL PARTY! and Happy Graduation Sister!

Thursday morning I get the text message from my sister that says: GIRL PARTY! This means my sister will be having a girl at the end of May. I am very excited to have more girl fun in the family. 

This is her sonogram picture. Isn't she beautiful?

Friday night we joined my sister and Chad and our families at the Cheesecake factory for dinner to celebrate Annie's graduation from UGA with her Master's Degree. Yeah sister!

This is also where she told us the baby's name... Reegan Antoinette. The name Antoinette is Chad's grandma's name. I am excited to see what kind of personality will come out in Reegan and to add another girl to the family. That means we have 2 girl additions this year! Reegan and Lauren! 

Oh Christmas Tree!

Our Christmas Tree is beautiful... We had a fun time picking it out of the field and watching it be cut down so we could bring it home with us. We have a tall ceiling and wanted a tree that would fill that space. I love Christmas!

Here I am in the field of trees holding the the umbrella. It was drizzling a little and Charlie insisted I grad an umbrella. so here I am! 

Aren't we cute?

We found our tree! Time to cut it down and bring it home!

Beautiful in the field.

Then we went home I spent 2 1/2 hours putting lights on the tree. 21 strands of lights and one blown fuse later I was ready for Charlie to grab the ladder and put our star on the top of the tree. It looks a little bit bigger in the house then on the field. Maybe it was because of the hill in the tree field that we got it from? Who knows. Gorgeous isn't it?!

So here is our tree TODAY! In all it's glory. I love it

Beautiful star and shadows cast on the ceiling.